Pump system for removing water from pool covers and sumps

Abstract

A pump system or device is provided for removing water from a pool cover or sump, featuring a controller configured to respond to a signal containing information about the ambient temperature in relation to a pump and to provide a controller signal containing information to control the operation of the pump based at least partly on the ambient temperature. The pumping system or device me be configured to include some combination of the following: temperature sensing, including a Thermistor, to change control logic at temperatures below a specific level (e.g. below 35 degrees F.); the initiation of impeller cycling at low operating temperatures to avoid ice formation in the impeller cavity and/or hose, but not for level sensing; the use of temperature feedback to turn off pump at low temperatures that may result in damage to the system; the addition of control logic to ignore torque increases due to contamination or flow-back Inclusion of soft-start of motor to reduce stress on impeller/motor; the option to connect Garden-style hose with an integral heating element to avoid freezing; a heating element to receive power from the pump via, e.g., a plug connector, where power to the heating element is supplied only when the temperature device is activated at some specified setting; the addition of a temperature sensor to render the pump inoperative if the temperature should fall below a set point (freezing); and/or the use of a field effect level sensor, such that the temperature sensing is substantially independent of the level sensing device.

1 . A pump system or device for removing water from a pool cover or sump, comprising:
 one or more controller modules configured to respond to a signal containing information about the ambient temperature in relation to the pump system or device and to provide a controller signal containing information to control the operation of the pump system or device, including pumping water from the pool cover or sump, based at least partly on the signal containing information about the ambient temperature.   
     
     
         2 . A pump system or device according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more controller modules is configured to cycle an impeller of the pump at a low operating temperature to avoid substantially ice formation in an impeller cavity of the pump system or device. 
     
     
         3 . A pump system or device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pump system or device comprises one or more temperature sensing modules configured to sense the ambient temperature and provide the signal containing information about the same. 
     
     
         4 . A pump system or device according to  claim 3 , wherein the one or more temperature sensing modules is a thermistor. 
     
     
         5 . A pump system or device according to  claim 2 , wherein the low operating temperature is below 35° F. 
     
     
         6 . A pump system or device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pump system or device comprises a non-contacting level-sensing device configured to sense the water level in the pool cover or sump, and provide signaling to the one or more controller modules. 
     
     
         7 . A pump system or device according to  claim 6 , wherein the one or more controller modules is configured to supplement the operation of the non-contacting level-sensing device, including disabling the operation of the pump system or device when the ambient temperature falls below some specified temperature setting. 
     
     
         8 . A pump system or device according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more controller modules is configured to turn off the pump when the ambient temperature is below some specified temperature setting. 
     
     
         9 . A pump system or device according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more controller modules is configured to ignore some motor torque increases, including those due to contamination or back-flow. 
     
     
         10 . A pump system or device according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more controller modules is configured to provide signaling to soft start a motor of the pump to reduce stress on an impeller/motor of the pump system or device. 
     
     
         11 . A pump system or device according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more controller modules is configured with control logic that changes the operation of a pumping device at temperatures below a predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         12 . A pump system or device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pump system or device comprises a garden-style hose having an integral heating element module that is configured to receive power and heat the garden-style hose to avoid water freezing therein. 
     
     
         13 . A pump system or device according to  claim 12 , wherein the pump system or device comprises a plug connector and controller module configured to receive signaling from the one or more control modules, to receive the power, and also to provide the power to the integral heating element module of the garden-style hose based at least partly on the ambient temperature. 
     
     
         14 . A method for removing water from a pool cover or sump, comprising:
 arranging a pump on a pool cover or in a sump;   receiving in one or more controller modules of the pump a signal containing information about the ambient temperature in relation to the pump; and   providing a controller signal containing information to control the operation of the pump, including pumping water from the pool cover or the sump, based at least partly on the signal containing information about the ambient temperature.   
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the method comprises cycling with the one or more controller modules an impeller of the pump at a low operating temperature to avoid ice formation in an impeller cavity of the pump. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the method comprises sensing with one or more temperature sensing modules the ambient temperature and providing the signal containing information about the same to the one or more controller modules. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the method comprises sensing with the ambient temperature with a thermistor. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the low operating temperature is below 35° F. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the method comprises turning off the pump with the one or more controller modules when the ambient temperature is below a very low temperature. including below a freezing temperature.